2010 St. Louis Rams: What the Film Revealed

I found this interesting.

2010 St. Louis Rams: What the Film Revealed
By ANDY BENOIT
While we wonder whether there will be a 2011 season, this is part of a series looking back at the 2010 season, with the benefit of film analysis. This week, we look at the N.F.C. West:

Offense

The Rams have a lot of reasons to be giddy about Sam Bradford. It’s not often a rookie quarterback can keep an offense above water after the top two receivers go down and the front five is no better than “middle of the pack.” Bradford looked comfortable making multiple reads in the pocket and consistently maintained crisp fundamentals when things broke down or he rolled out. If the Rams had had just one true downfield receiving weapon (rather than a slew of possession targets who couldn’t generate separation late in routes), they would have won the N.F.C. West.

A lot of people are trumpeting left tackle Rodger Saffold as The Next Big Thing. Given the way he improved his pass protection over the course of the season, he might just be. His hand-punch and footwork were insufficient early on but acceptable, if not impressive, late in the year. Like young right tackle Jason Smith (who has quick feet but must deliver contact more resoundingly), Saffold almost never required tight end blocking help. Worth noting is that St. Louis’s three interior lineman didn’t play with nearly enough power.

I don't care about the naysayers on Smith, I like him and this is one reason why I feel he'll be pretty good.-Richbert

Finally, Steven Jackson continued to carry the run game but looked more like a true power back than ever before (which is to say he was tenacious and smart but not as dynamic or explosive).

Defense

This was an inconsistent unit, which is to be expected from a team that doesn’t quite have all the horses. The aggressiveness of Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme maximized the front seven’s output, though it was a front seven that had room for improvement. Defensive end James Hall was not the pass-rushing presence that his 10.5 sacks suggested, and counterpart Chris Long was disruptive but not in a way that alters an opponent’s game plan. St. Louis’s best defensive lineman was the veteran tackle Fred Robbins, a 317-poounder with the initial quickness of a 270-pounder.

I've kind of felt this, and I feel fantastic about it with Quinn now.-Richbert

With a year of experience and accrued wisdom under his belt, middle linebacker James Laurinaitis looked like a different player. Gone was the stiff plodder; in his place was someone who could locate receivers in coverage or fill against the run. Laurinaitis just needed sturdier outside linebackers flanking him.

In the secondary, the safeties needed to be more dynamic in coverage. Bradley Fletcher wasn’t physical but still showed hints of No. 1 corner potential.

Myth Buster

Jason Brown is a top tier center

The former Raven simply has not lived up to his once-record-setting contract. A lot of people blame left guard Jacon Bell for St. Louis’s lack of power on the inside line, but Brown was the weaker of the two in 2010. Too often bull-rushers drove him into the backfield or played him to a draw in situations where he should have been able to clear a path.

If this is technique, it can be fixed. But it needs addressing....somehow.-Richbert

Something Positive

Wide receiver Danny Amendola was a valuable mismatch creator in then-offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s scheme. The Rams frequently used the diminutive wideout as a de facto extension of their rushing attack by feeding him screens in the slot and outside. Amendola’s 8.1 yards per catch was the lowest average ever for any wideout with at least 60 receptions. But in this case, it’s the fact that he had at least 60 receptions (a hefty 85, to be exact) that’s significant.

Re: 2010 St. Louis Rams: What the Film Revealed

and counterpart Chris Long was disruptive but not in a way that alters an opponent’s game plan

So Long getting double and triple teamed was not in an opponent's game plan? I remember seeing plays against Arizona where Long was taking on the TE, OT and OG at times. That doesn't just happen during a game unless those guys have specifically been told to help out
Also, didn't Long lead the league in QB pressures last year?
And if James Hall's 10.5 sacks aren't representitive of his pass rushing skills, couldn't they be representitive of Long's disruptiveness?

Re: 2010 St. Louis Rams: What the Film Revealed

Originally Posted by C-Mob 71

Interesting read richbert, his condemnation of Brown is awfully concerning. Heck he didn't even talk about the glaring weakness at right guard.

Google Benoit & you'll find the whole NFCW film analysis he did. Interesting stuff but a little sound-bite-ish, especially the Brown comment.Typical cool breeze fantasy league evaluator style ; not inaccurate so much as a little over-stated for effect.

While I wouldn't claim he's been spectacular, I think Brown has been the anchor you need on a line with green OTs and a rookie QB; pretty reliable and steady. The reasons why he hasn't stood out, other than the aforementioned issues, can actually be found,imo, in Benoit's own analysis of the defenses The Rams faced in the NFCW. Words like "nightmare' and "top 5 DL" come up. The front sevens are the strength of all 3 of these teams. You try blocking Dockett, Franklin,et al, twice a season. I think Brown is very low on our list of issues.